A change of pace
by Shirbert fangirl
Summary: Anne has been raised in a loving home by her parents, fate has found her father being brought to Avonlea to teach. AU, one-shot for now but may continue.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Not really sure how good this one is but I thought I'd throw it up on here as an apology for not having posted anything in a while. This is just a small blurb that came to mind the other night and wouldn't leave my head until I wrote it. Ends rather abruptly but I found it a good stopping point. Thanks to moo for being the best friend anyone could ever want.

I don't own Anne of Green Gables or any characters you recognize from it.

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Anne knew many facts about the world, having been raised by a schoolteacher for a father and her mother also formerly having been a teacher meant the girl could often be found with her face in a book or mind turned inwards on some imaginary adventure of her mind's own making. From the small yellow walled house in Halifax to the shack in Sparta it had been her upbeat attitude and positive disposition that kept her happy as time went on. Nearly every year the small family found themselves moving on over and over until the red headed girl finally gave up on bothering with friends – for there was really no point in making friends when one would have to leave them far behind in the near future – instead she began to imagine the characters of her books were her friends. The train ride from Ontario where her father had been teaching in a small village school to Prince Edward Island had been maddening for the young girl.

"Father, why are the roads here red?" Anne asked, staring curiously out the window where the roads had swiftly turned from different shades of brown to an odd rusty red.

"Well Anne that will make an excellent subject for science study won't it? Why I expect you'll be able to explain the mechanics of it to your Mother and I soon enough." Walter told his daughter with a soft smile.

"Darling don't you think the trees here are absolutely lovely? I nearly feel as if I am home again." Bertha Shirley sighed dreamily, holding tightly to her husbands arm. "I do hope we might stay in this place a while."

"Oh Mother just look at that cherry tree there! All white like a bride prepared to walk down the aisle!" Anne gasped out as they passed the tree that had captured her attention.

The train stopped, Bright River Station announced.

Anne picked up her small suitcase then took her mother's offered hand. Together the Shirleys stepped down onto the Bright River Station's platform and quickly made their way over to one of the small benches.

"I'll go inside and make arrangements for our luggage, Anne you mind your manners or you'll have to sit in the Lady's waiting room. Bertha you recall that the man's name is-"

His wife cut off his frantic speech. "John. Calm down Walter everything will be fine. Anne and I will wait out here for the Gentleman and you'll have nothing more to worry."

The man nodded his head before kissing his wife gently and patting his daughter's head affectionately. By the time he'd glanced back from the station door his daughter was already engrossed in a novel next to her mother on the bench bringing a small grin to his face. When he at last made it back outside after ten minutes of lines and discussions he found young Anne still engrossed in whatever tale she'd been taken to but his wife speaking to a well dressed gentleman with brown hair who had a young teen-aged boy by his side that looked decidedly similar to the former.

"Oh here he is now, Walter darling this is John Blythe and his son Gilbert." Bertha introduced excitedly. "Gilbert here will be one of your students."

Walter shook hands with both. "It's lovely to meet you. You've been introduced to my wife and daughter already I suppose."

"Well we've met your wife but your daughter won't put her silly book down." Gilbert piped up with a smirk. "Thought schoolteacher's children would be better mannered than that."

"It is through elementary good breeding that I've nodded to you and I will acknowledge such horrid behaviour no further. Imagine having the gaul to wink at a strange girl!" Anne muttered without glancing away from the pages that seemed to have captured her. "I must say I'd rather read of Camelot and heartbreak than bother with such a blatant disregard for manners thank you ever so much."

There was a momentary pause before Walter Shirley met the eye of John Blythe then both men burst into laughter.

"Perhaps Miss. Shirley would prefer to ride in the front of the carriage with myself then." John offered.

"That would be infinitely more preferable thank you." Anne answered in a tone of annoyance.

"My Anne can be a bit hardheaded. Once she sets her mind to anything not even Atlas would have the strength to move her."

"What does a book of maps have to do with moving anything?" Gilbert asked, his face filled with confusion.

Instead of answering him Walter simply laughed and patted him on the shoulder.

"Atlas is a character from mythology Mr. Blythe **not** a book of maps." The red headed girl answered as she returned her book to its place in her case and stood. "Perhaps Avonlea truthfully does need someone like you Father. Imagine not knowing something as basic as lore and mythology."

"Now Anne, not all children have the benefit of a schoolteacher for a parent. Please try to be more understanding of those with less chances than you've had. Kindness and?" He stared down into his daughter's eyes seriously.

"Charity towards all others." She finished with a sigh. Turning towards the older boy she spoke again."I'm sorry for insulting you Mr. Blythe. Please accept my sincerest apologies for my insensitive words."

"Well Miss. Shirley I suppose I must accept – and may I invite you over to our home for tea this afternoon after you've settled?" Gilbert smirked as he spoke, watching the girl's face turn white then red as anger filled her features.

"Of course. I'd be happy to accept." She ground out before swiftly walking away towards the cart they had come from.

John laughed heartily at his son. "That boy! I'm sure the wife'll expect I invite the two of you along too. Won't do to let young Anne go visitin' a stranger's house alone."

Bertha smiled at the man. "I'm sure it won't take us long at all to unpack. Thank you."

The two families piled into the cart along with the Shirley's things and were soon on the well worn road back to Avonlea.

Anne's anger soon melted away as she stared ravenously at the world around her. It didn't seem to matter how many trees or flowers she saw the girl still found herself taken with the romance and beauty of nature.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thank you to all who reviewed and favourited. I've found a beta reader I'm thankful to say. Just a few edits I needed to fix in this chapter.

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It was a tradition in Avonlea that a school teacher would board with one of the families of the village during their residency there – as none of the teachers had ever lasted longer than a year or two – but of course formerly they'd all been single men without a wife and child. Because of Walter Shirley having a family alongside him many of those that would usually be filled with pride at having the schoolmaster of Avonlea stay with them turned up their noses. As unusual as it was Marilla Cuthbert had offered to open her doors to the small family until something more permanent could be found, provided they didn't mind sharing one small room.

It was through this act of kindness that Anne Shirley found herself sitting at the table in Marilla's sparkling clean kitchen with her schoolbooks settled on the table in front of her while her parents finished unpacking. Across from her sat the tow-headed boy whp had been introduced to her as "Thomas Whitly", ward of the Cuthberts. As she wrote her thoughts and questions out the boy ate a thick cut piece of bread smothered in jam.

An older man had glanced in once from the doorway to the back but swiftly disappeared again when she'd offered him a small smile and a wave.

"There was just a man in your doorway." She informed the boy.

"That's Matthew." Tomas explained to her with a mouth full of bread and jam. "'Spect he's lookin' for me. Got chores to do when 'm done."

Anne stared at the boy in disgust. "You really shouldn't talk with your mouth full of food. It's quite rude."

"M'rilla says we should leave judgement of others to God." He replied before taking another large bite. "'Sides gotta eat up b'fore I go or M'rilla'll get mad."

"Well mother says eating too quickly is terrible for digestion."

"Don't know rightly 'bout that." He commented before shoving the last bite into his mouth, pausing to pick up the plate to take to the sink. "Guess I'll be seeing you later... Anne was it?"

"Are you still here Thomas? Matthew'll already have half the chores done! Hurry up boy." Marilla called to the boy as she came into the kitchen. "Lord knows that silly man never learns. And mind you don't forget your jacket this time!" The woman patted his back as she ushered him out the back doorway, handing him the jacket in question. "I expect if you don't it'll pour buckets again and I'll not be to blame for you catching your death of cold!"

The boy rushed out with his jacket in hand much to Anne's amusement.

"And I suppose Thomas forgot to offer our guest a cup of tea?" Marilla asked, eyeing the table critically.

"Oh he did offer but we've been invited to tea at the Blythes and it seemed rude to take tea twice. Besides I was infinitely more interested in getting all my thoughts and questions down before they escape me. I always think of the best questions when I've no notebook to write them in and by the time I get to one they've gone. That's always the way of it don't you think?"

"Good lord but you've plenty to say haven't you?"

"Well mother says I've been blessed with an inquisitive mind. Would have much preferred to have been born angelically beautiful with lovely golden hair like the lily maid but I wasn't so I'll just have to make the best of what I have got. What about you Miss. Cuthbert? Would you rather be intelligent or beautiful?"

"What sort of question is that? It is better to be good and well behaved and _not ask silly questions of our elders_ Miss Shirley!" The woman reprimanded as she filled the kettle.

"Oh! I didn't mean to offend you Miss. Cuthbert. I wasn't trying to be rude at all. Sometimes I speak without really thinking about it is all." Anne admitted. "Everyone has flaws and that is unfortunately one of mine. I make so many mistakes that I couldn't even count or remember them all though I /am/ proud to say that I never make the same mistake twice!"

"You are a very unusual child." Marilla commented, eyeing her. "Don't suppose your mother has ever tried to curb that has she?"

"Mother doesn't believe in hitting a child as a way to ensure good behaviour. She says it's better that I'm well behaved because I choose to be rather than because I fear her. Oh Miss. Cuthbert I'll wipe the table down for you, I've spilled a bit of ink over here and I'd much rather clean my own mess than make you do it." Anne told the woman as Marilla came to the table with a wet rag. "I'm thirteen now and I really ought to take responsibility for things I've done especially when you've been kind enough to let us stay with you."

Anne swiftly packed away her things back in their places in her bag then reached for the rag. "I'm quite good at dishes too. Once my mother was so sick that she couldn't even get out of bed so I had to take care of Father's meals and all of the chores. Mind you I'm not much for cooking – always get distracted and in the end make a mess of things." As she chatted Anne carefully wiped down the table the way her mother had taught her.

"Anne we're leaving shortly. Come put your things away and wash up please." Her mother called.

"Goodbye Miss. Cuthbert." Anne said with a smile as she handed back the rag and grabbed her things.

Although she wasn't feeling particularly enthused to see Gilbert again Anne was quite excited to attend a tea especially as an invited guest. She'd dressed in her second best green dress and tied her hair with matching ribbons. Walking in between her mother and father down the road she took in the sights of Avonlea but before she'd managed to get completely caught up in the beauty around her they'd made it to the Blythe farm. Anne steeled herself with a deep breath.

"Goodness Anne you'd believe you were asked to walk through a burning field." Her mother said with a chuckle.

"I think I would vastly prefer the fire to that boy." Anne replied in a voice tinted with distaste. With another deep breath the girl squared her shoulders then began walking up the path towards the farm house.


End file.
